The Babysitters' Club Rebirth

Something that I've carried on from my child-to-adult hood is my love of reading for pleasure.  Some of my earliest reading memories include the Pee Wee Scouts series by Judy Delton and the Polk Street School series by Patricia Reilly Giff.  I soon transitioned to Nancy Drews (Carolyn Keene + ghostwriters) and the Anastasia Series (Lois Lowry) and haven't stopped since.

So I was pleasantly surprised to see this article pop up in my google reader!
Comeback Planned for Girls' Book Series
I loved, loved, loved the Babysitter's Club Series when I was growing up.  Go ahead and judge me, ha!   I have no shame in admitting that my alter-"BSC member"-ego was a bit of Claudia (the Nancy Drews), a dash of Mary Anne (overprotective parent), and the rest Kristy (overachiever).  I never felt cool enough to be Stacy or Dawn.  :)  I'd get really excited when I was able to find a new one at the library and I would read during school, after school, straight through dinner, and under the covers with a flashlight until I'd finish.  And then I'd start a new one the next day.  With over 200 books and spinoffs, no wonder my eyesight grew increasingly worse over the years! :)

I was sad to hear that the books have been out of print for over a decade now (luckily I've been collecting ragged copies at book sales for years now), but am excited at the relaunching of the series for the up-and-coming generation of tween readers.  Some future mothers are excited about handing down their jewels or family heirlooms to their daughters.  Other mothers save their wedding dresses in hopes their daughters will wear them one day.  Me?  In this generation of fabricated vampires, wizards, and gossip girls, I hope to still be able to introduce them to Nancy Drew, the BCS Club, Anastasia Krupnik, Beezus and Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, Fudge, Homer Price, etc, etc, ETC!  :)

What were the books of your childhood/tween years?

February Fun Reads, 2009

I haven't done one of these in a while, though I have been reading for pleasure pretty consistently. After a while, there is only so much internet I can inject my brain with, so I appreciate a good read to balance everything out. We make such frequent trips to our local library that whenever we come in to pick up a requested item, the librarians recognize us and they don't even need our card to find our materials, haha. I love the library system...it's like our personal Netflix for movies and books! Anyways, here's some stuff on my virtual bookshelf:

Roasting in Hell's Kitchen by Gordon Ramsey
I really enjoyed it. It was interesting to learn more about him. Now I know why he cusses all the time and is so critical! Read it youself to find out hehe.

Brining Home the Birkin by Michael Tonello
This caught my eye at our local B&N, so I requested it from the library. Jerry saw me read it and said, "What's the big deal about this Birkin thing? I'm going look it up on ebay." Next thing I hear from him is "NINETY FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A BAG?! CRAZZZZZZYYYYY!!!" I loved reading about his adventures, and so did Jerry. We are now inspired to ebay our stuff...except its not worth anything compared to a Birkin, haha.

The Solomon Sisters Wise Up by Melissa Senate
I'm not one to express the sentiment that I'm too good for this so called genre of "chick-lit." I absolutely love indulging myself in some thing a bit unreal- it provides a temporary escape for me. I can be a part of someone else's world for a bit before I go back to slaving away at ArcGis, searching for jobs, and doing laundry. In fact, the same goes for TV. Try as I might, I just can't pretend that I'm fascinated with watching CNN when Gossip Girl is on. :) For someone who reads as much chick lit as I do, I never quite warmed up to watching Sex and the City. Hmm, I wonder why?
Anywaaaays, back to the book. Melissa Senate is a good writer and she did a good job writing this book from 3 points of view (the 3 sisters). The content is not as silly as the Shopaholic books or the Plum Sykes books. I wouldn't mind a movie version of this book! Of course, knowing cheap 'ol me, I'd wait for it to be on DVD. :)

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max
This book was gross and raunchy. Jerry had fun reading it, so I read it too. Ewww, guys like that exist? But I have to admit that I had fun reading it as well.

My Husband's Sweethearts by Bridget Asher
This woman finds out her husband is cheating on her, leaves him, and then finds out he's dying so she goes back to his deathbed. Instead of dealing with his illness alone, she calls up all his mistresses/past flings and some of them actually show up! Interesting cast of characters, I very much enjoyed this book. I teared up a little too!

The Billionaire's Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace
Okay, I'm a bit tired of writing, haha. Let's just say I learned alot about wine and Thomas Jefferson. And how auction houses are crazy. The book reads a bit like a mystery, both Jer and I liked it and had to wikipedia more about it after since we were curious.

What's on your virtual bookshelf?

100 Books Every Child Should Read

It's no secret that I love to read! The Telegraph came out with a list of 100 books every child should read. I found out I haven't read as much as I thought I did. :( Only 28 out of 100! Some of the books I've never even heard of.

Part 1
I've only read Where the Wild Things Are, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Winne the Pooh, Cat in the Hat and Charlotte's Web. I love Roald Dahl so I must make a point to read all his books!

Part 2
I've read Just So Stories, The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales, The Wind in the Willows, Peter Pan, A Little Princess, Pippi Longstocking, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Phantom Tollbooth, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The BFG, Black Beauty

Part 3
Call of the Wild, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, The Outsiders, To Kill a Mockingbird, Great Expectations, The Diary of a Young Girl, Wuthering Heights, Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, Treasure Island, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Someday when we buy a new house, I can't wait for a room to fill with all my books!

Yes, I Do Other Things Besides Eating and Cooking

The days when I was able to read for more than 30 minute stretches at a time (i.e last quarter when I had easy classes) are now quite rare. Lately I'm lucky if I get to read 15 min straight before 1) the bus comes (I can't read in a moving vehicle so I like to read while waiting at the bus stop), 2) I fall asleep, and/or 3) I have to get back to school/work. For this quarter my reading has mainly consisted of articles on nutrition, social marketing, health care disparities, and global health issues. But no matter how busy I get with work/school/personal life, I always try to have a book on hand for the snatches of downtime that I get despite my full schedule. This is a sampling of what I've read the last couple months:

1. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain is such a bad ass! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I learned a lot about the restaurant/food industry. A must read if you enjoy his show on the Travel Channel/are a foodie.
2. Heat by Bill Buford
This is about his experiences while working in Mario Batali's kitchen for a year. It's a good insider's view about what goes on in and out of the kitchen. I learned a lot about pasta and Italy. I got so hungry while I was reading it.
3. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I'm sure everyone's heard about this book by now. It's excellent, and I can't believe I waited this long to read it! I admit, this book sat on my shelf for months because I didn't want to read about anything depressing, and I kept pushing it down my queue. But I'm glad I finally got to it, now I recommend it to everyone.
4, 5, 6. Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
Something Borrowed is told from the POV of a girl who sleeps with her best friend's fiance on her 30th bday, and Something Blue is told from the POV of the best friend. Baby Proof alludes to same characters, but focuses on another couple who disagree on having children. I love to read chick lit, and Emily Giffin dishes it so deliciously! (Sheesh, I sound like a promo). I thoroughly enjoyed all 3 of her books, and I'm looking forward to her next book.
7. Dedication by Emma McLaughlin and Nicolo Kraus
These are the same authors who wrote The Nanny Diaries and Citizen Girl. I love their writing style! “What if your ex-boyfriend was famous and adored by millions? What would you do if you had the chance to make him regret his entire existence? How much would you risk?“
That's on the sleeve lining, and the story about how the main character deals with her famous ex is very good!
8. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
I actually read this book for fun during the early days of college and recently had to read it again for one of my classes. I even had to do a book report, and not the fun kind either where all you do is list the characters and draw pictures. No, this time I had to critique and review it, and it kind of sucks the fun out of reading. Either way, it is an excellent story and I highly recommend it to everyone. It's about a Hmong girl who has epilepsy and the struggles between her parents and her American doctors when it came to providing care and managing her health.
9. Wall and Piece by Banksy
This compilation features collections from some of Banksy's best street art works. Banksy is awesome! Speaking of which, LAist found of some of his artwork yesterday.
Next on my queue:
Diary of a Mad Mom to Be by Laura Wolf
Working Fire by Zac Unger
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

The Stacks Get Higher

Can I finish a dozen of these works by June 17? (Yes I still frequent my local library, and that's when most of the books are due.) If you haven't noticed I'm on a Marian Keyes kick right now. Every so often I discover an author whose works I enjoy so much that I make it my mission to read everything published by him/her. In elementary school it was Beverly Cleary, Judy Delton, Patricia Reilly-Giff, Lois Lowry, Carolyn Keene, Roald Dahl etc, in middle school it was Judy Blume, Paula Danziger etc, in high school it was Olivia Goldsmith, Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, etc, and in college I took a hiatus, haha.

Now it's Marian Keyes. Oh hell, I also read everything and anything nowadays. But I haven't quite forgotten the writers of works that I loved to read growing up- Yoshiko Uchida, Roald Dahl, and of course, Nancy Drew (although they are of course ghostwriters now). I want to be retired and still read Nancy Drew books, hehe.

Fun Reads for February!

Let's get right to it:


Loose Balls by Jayson Williams with Steve Friedman
Really enjoyable. But then again, it's prolly b/c I'm a sports nut. The anecdotes are hilarious! There's not much else I can say about it. I think you'd prolly only find it entertaining if you were into basketball.


Bookends by Jane Green
I need my dose of chick-lit! This one was particularly enjoyable b/c the storylines revolved around food and books.


Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
It took me FOREVER to finish this book. Mostly because I found myself re-reading some parts over again. Also, I'd stop after certain points to digest what the author had written. Because I'm lazy:

Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? In Made to Stick, accomplished educators and idea collectors Chip and Dan Heath tackle head-on these vexing questions. Inside, the brothers Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that “stick” and explain sure-fire methods for making ideas stickier, such as violating schemas, using the Velcro Theory of Memory, and creating “curiosity gaps.”

Read it! It will definitely change the way you think, though in a subtle way.

Anastasia Again! by Lois Lowry


Anastasia, Absolutely by Lois Lowry
Lois Lowry is one of my favorite authors. The Anastasia series rock! I've read every single book in the series at least dozens of times over the last 10 or so years. If I have a daughter, I am sooooo gonna have her read these books as well as watch the Brat Pack movies. :)

More to come next month!

Eclectic is as eclectic goes

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Got books? (how original :P )

I've been an avid reader ever since I can remember.

Wait, that's not entirely true. I remember when I used to live in Moreno Valley, my mom would force me to sit on the steps and read while she sewed. I think I was 7 at the time. Ok, I've been an avid reader since I was 8. Heehee.

Since I love to read so much of course one of the things on my list would involve books!

Here are my 4 for the month:



How Nancy Drew Saved My Life by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

You gals/guys know me well enough; how could I not resist?! I've been reading Nancy Drews since I was 9...and 14 years later, I still do. That's a post for another day though. :)

The first and foremost reason that I read this book was because of the title. Doh. That's enough for me. Haha, ok all kidding set aside, I was pleasantly surprised at how the book was written. It wasn't as fluffy as it sounds. Basically it uses the same story vehicle made popular by other pieces of chick-lit: girl meets boy, boy breaks girl's heart, girl moves away and takes a job somewhere else and meets other boy. But you add in a setting in Iceland, an adorable little girl, a somewhat silly but smart heroine (Charlotte Bell) and Nancy Drew (doh!), and it's not just another boring story. Oh yeah, it has a non-conventional ending, which was refreshing!

I actually read it in one sitting the second I came home from the library, and I plan to read it once more before it's due at the library next week. :)



Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes

Marian Keyes is an author that I stumbled upon by accident. I think the first book I read by her was Sushi For Beginners, and I saw that, as well as this book, at the "recommended" section of my local library. I've been looking for another author to get into ever since I finished reading all of Olivia Goldsmith's books (she died of plastic surgery complications maybe 2-3 years ago?).

Anybody Out There? was a pretty good story. It's about a woman named Anna who wakes up from a terrible accident and doesn't know what happened to her or her husband. The book weaves in and out between past and present so it can get confusing. Plus Anna has a zillion sisters so it was hard to keep track sometimes. Oh and did I mention it takes place in the US and Ireland?? However, all the random stories lead to what happened to her husband, and how she copes. It's almost like a mystery, but more poignantly told. I actually teared up at some parts. This book really made me think about how we deal with loss- not just the actual loss, but the eventual acceptance of it.

After reading Anybody Out There? I think I will make it a point to check out all of Marian Keye's books.



24-Karat Kids by Dr. Judy Goldstein & Sebastian Stuart

Okay, I just read this book b/c it looked fun. And I wasn't really look for substance, which is the reason why I also read Bergdorf Blondes last year. What is so great about reading fluff is that sometimes there's something of value in it, and if there isn't, well at least I had fun reading it. :P

This book is about a lady who gets an offer to practice in THE prestigious Upper West Side peds clinic. Of course she comes from humble beginnings and hates everything that the rich stands for. Her fiance (who she's kinda bored with) also shares her sentiments. But she takes the job anyway, vowing to never become one of them. Almost immediately, she bonds with her little patients and she doesn't want to leave them to their psycho parents, so she has to learn to understand the lifestyle of the rich so she can better understand and treat her parents accordingly. And of course she and the fiance had a break up and she met other guys. The book is very predictable from the beginning. I knew what was going to happen at the end. But it is what happens in the pages in between is what made me like the book alot.

This book isn't for everybody! Boys, you'd be bored. :P



The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Finally, no more fluff! Okay, I LOVED THIS BOOK. I need to read this again. There is amazing stuff in here! Gosh, where to start.

Okay, this book is divided into 3 parts- corn, grass, and the forager. In the corn part, you learn about how corn is such an integral part of our everyday diet- it's in nearly every processed food we eat! Even the meat some of us eat come from corn-fed animals. In this section, the author walks the reader through how meat is processed (pretty sad), and how cows aren't sposed to eat corn but they are force-fed it b/c it makes 'em grow faster! Cows, by nature, are only sposed to eat grass. There's some other stuff too but I don't remember it.

Okay in part two it's basically about the organic food industry. It talks about if the "organic" food really that much better than regular stuff, and if there is such a difference in the end. Very interesting! Then he talks about farms that rely on old-school farming. Man, that's way too much for me to even go into. You people need to read this book!

Finally in the last section he talks about pig hunting and mushroom gathering among other things. Made me hungry for salami and mushrooms! Sigh. The book was due today and I couldn't renew it, so I had to shove the last 80 pages or so in during work today. Okay, this is what I remember. (Jen walked into my office during lunch and I showed her an excerpt, so that's why it's come to mind.) In this one paragraph, he talks about how even though vegans don't eat animals b/c they don't wanna kill them, animals still die as a result of the planting/cultivating/harvesting of the grains that vegans eat (I don't remember the examples). So if we want to kill the least number of animals as possible, we need to eat the biggest single unit of food that exists in the smallest space- which is cow! (That's good news for Christina! :D)

This book was really interesting, I wish I could remember all the stories! What I really liked was that the author wasn't telling us what to eat or how to think. He just laid all the facts/stories there for us to digest, and for us to make what we wanted out of it.

I want to re-read this book a year from now. It's that good!

Whew. Look out for my next 4 books in a month! :) I hope all my reviews won't be as long as this one.